A crash at around 8:52-a.m. today (Monday), in Sac County, claimed the life of a 21-year old woman. The Iowa State Patrol reports Courtney Graffunder, of Sac City died, after the car she was driving collided with the rear of a semi tractor-trailer on Highway 71. The woman was not wearing a seat belt.

Officials said her 2015 Chevy Camaro was northbound and failed to stop for a 2021 Peterbilt semi in the northbound lane, that was stopped on Highway 71 and waiting to turn left into the drive for 1887 Highway 71.

The driver of the semi, 40-year old Joshua Cordes, of Enid, OK., was not injured. The Sac County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A small group of health care workers were the first people in Iowa to get the coronavirus vaccine, kicking off a months-long campaign to deliver shots to state residents. The arrival of the vaccine marked a milestone in the fight against a virus that has killed one in roughly every 964 residents in Iowa, infected hundreds of thousands more, filled up hospitals and closed many public school buildings.

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics said on Monday morning it received 1,000 doses of the vaccine manufactured by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. The hospital soon started vaccinating employees, saying it anticipated more than 50 would receive the first of two doses of the vaccine on Monday.

(Radio Iowa) – Six Iowans have cast their votes in the Electoral College for President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Trump finished eight points ahead of Joe Biden in Iowa and carried all but six of Iowa’s 99 counties. Governor Kim Reynolds was on hand this (Monday) morning to greet the Electors at the State Capitol. “Turn out for the General Election was incredibly high in the State of Iowa and I think that’s something we can all be very proud of,” she said.

Turnout in Iowa was over) “897,672 Iowans voted for Donald Trump for president and Mike Pence for vice president…Those votes were technically and legally votes cast for the six of you,” Pate said. “…I want to congratulate you, the Electors, and thank you for your service.” David Chung of Cedar Rapids is a long-time Republican Party activist, but this was the first time he’s served as an Elector. “It’s kind of bitter sweet,” Chung says. “Obviously I’m a Republican Elector, so I was hoping to be part of re-electing a Republican president, but still happy to be part of the process.”

The Electors signed a number of documents, some of which will be delivered to congress.

(Des Moines) A reminder from the Iowa Department of Human Rights: The CDC’s moratorium on nonpayment evictions ends on December 31, 2020.  The Order protects renters who meet certain requirements and who sign a declaration form and give it to the landlord. Evictions can take place if certain terms of the lease are broken.  Late fees can still be charged, and the obligation to pay rent remains. The process and requirements around the moratorium and evictions can be complex. For information on how to take advantage of the moratorium, visit Iowa Legal Aid’s website.

If you are unable to pay your rent, here are some resources on rental assistance, housing, and other help.

• Iowa legal Aid-Eviction Information/Rights
• Resident Declaration Form – Other Languages
• Eviction Moratorium Information in 18 Asian Languages
• COVID-19 Legal Advice Hotline 1-800-332-0419
• HHS/CDC Frequently Asked Questions
• Houseiowa.org – database of housing resources
• 211iowa.org or call 2-1-1 for resources

Iowa Emergency Solutions Grant CARES Act 
The Emergency Solutions Grant program helps prevent households from becoming homeless due to eviction, and assists Iowans experiencing homelessness to quickly regain rental housing.  Examples of assistance available to eligible individuals include rent and utility payments, including in arrears, legal assistance, application fees, security and utility deposits, moving costs, case management and credit repair. All financial assistance is paid directly to landlords and service providers  The assistance will remain available until all funds are exhausted or September 30, 2022.

For assistance and eligibility, call the Housing Recovery help line at 1-833-739-0065 or use the Regional Coordinated Entry Contact Finder to find a service agency in your area

Officials with the Southwest Iowa Foundation report the Audubon and Cass County Community Foundations are happy to announce that applications are now being accepted from organizations providing separate charitable services in Audubon and Cass County, respectively. As part of this spring grant cycle, approximately $90,000 is available to support nonprofit organizations and community projects in each County. The deadline to apply for funds through the online application process is February 1, 2021.

Beginning December 15th, application details, a fact sheet, and a link to the application form can be found online by selecting your respective County Listing at www.swiowafoundations.org. Applications will only be accepted through the online system. Made possible through the State of Iowa County Endowment Fund Program, this cycle of grants is funded by a percentage of the state’s commercial gaming tax revenue, which is distributed annually to participating community foundations associated with counties without a state-issued gaming license. Only organizations providing services in Audubon and/or Cass County are eligible to apply. They must be able to demonstrate broad community/county support and be an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) public charity, a local municipality, or a fiscally sponsored project.

Both the Cass and Audubon County Community Foundations aim to improve the quality of life in their respective Counties, by supporting community needs in the areas of civic engagement, culture, health, education, and social services. The objective of the grant program is to fund projects that will have a permanent impact on, and in, both counties. Due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, for Spring 2021, the two Community Foundations will entertain requests for program and operating support, in addition to the historic focus on items of permanence.

Please contact Stacey Goodman (stacey@omahafoundation.org) or Tess Houser (tess@omahafoundation.org) at 800-794-3458 with application-related questions. All completed grant applications will be considered at the March board meeting, with applicants being notified of funding decisions by the end of March.

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Board members of the Audubon County Community Foundation are Chair, Genelle Deist of Audubon; Vice Chair, Joel Hoegh of rural Brayton; Secretary/Treasurer, Megan Wagner of Audubon; Gina Benton of Exira, Bob Blomme of Audubon; Steven B. Hansen of Audubon; and Donna Olson of Kimballton.

Board members of the Cass County Community Foundation are Chair, Kristi Burg of Massena; Vice Chair, Gary Maas of Anita; Secretary/Treasurer, Roland K. Landsness, Esq. of Atlantic; Royal Bierbaum of Griswold; Sue Hunt of Atlantic; and Mark D. Kyhnn, CPA of Atlantic.

Atlantic, IA — Atlantic Medical Center, RHC will soon be immersed in a major renovation project, which will close half of the clinic at a time. The north half of the clinic (Suites A, C, D) will be under construction from the end of December 2020 until July 2021; the south half of the clinic (Suites B, E) will be under construction from July 2021 through December 2021. In order to preserve access to care for patients, several providers’ schedules and locations are changing.

For the first phase (December 2020 to July 2021) of construction at AMC, all patients will be seen in the exam rooms located in Suites B, E, and on the second floor across from Eye Associates.

• Dr. Angie Weppler, Mary Robinson, PA-C, and Stacey Bean, PA-C will be seeing patients in the exam rooms located on the second floor across from Eye Associates.
• Jessica Jackson, ARNP will be at Griswold Medical Center all day on Mondays as of December 7.
• Dr. Elaine Berry will be at Griswold Medical Center all day on Tuesdays as of December 1.
• Dr. Angie Weppler will be at Griswold Medical Center all day on Thursdays as of December 3.
• Elisha Hardy, ARNP will be at the Massena Medical Center all day on Mondays as of December 14.
• Stacey Bean, PA-C will be at Anita Medical Center for a half day on Wednesdays and all day on Thursdays as of December 2. She will also be in Atlantic all day on Mondays.
• Dr. Bethel Kopp will begin seeing patients in January. She will be at Anita Medical Center on Mondays, and Massena Medical Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

To make an appointment at the Atlantic Medical Center or any satellite clinic, call 712-243-2850.

URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) — Police in suburban Des Moines say a man arrested over the weekend on suspicion of first-degree murder in a woman’s death was the victim’s husband. Urbandale police on Monday identified the woman as 29-year-old Mary Sample, of Urbandale. Investigators say she was found in an Urbandale home around 6:45 p.m. Saturday suffering from severe head trauma. She died at the scene. Police arrested her husband, 35-year-old Dustin Sample, on Sunday morning and charged with first-degree murder.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports four arrests took place over the past week. On Dec. 6th, 20-year old Domingo Raymundo Garcia, of Omaha, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, following a traffic stop on I-80 westbound. His Breath Alcohol Test registered .116%. Garcia was released later that same day on a $1,000 cash or surety bond. On Dec. 8th, the Iowa State Patrol arrested 33-year old Austin James Hill, of West Des Moines. He was taken into custody following a traffic stop on I-80 in Adair County, and charged with Driving While License Suspended/Denied or Revoked. Hill was released from the scene on his Own Recognizance.

On Dec. 10th, 44-year old Jacob Howard Welsch, of Fontanelle, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. His Breath Alcohol Test registered .122%.  He was subsequently released with a citation. And, 36-year old Ashley Lyn Knight, of Tingley, was arrested Dec. 12th, also for OWI/1st offense, and cited for Failure to Obey a Stop Sign. Her Blood Alcohol Concentration registered .264.  She was also released with a citation.

Council Bluffs Police report three people – a man and two women – were arrested Sunday night, following a reported theft in progress at the Dicks Sporting Goods Store, in Council Bluffs. Officers responding at around 7:46 p.m., observed two suspects, a man – later identified as 19-year-old Terron A. Maples, of Blue Springs, Missouri – and one female, identified as 39-year-old Diamond D. Price, of Kansas City, Missouri, exiting the store and running toward an Orange Jeep parked near the emergency exit.  Officer’s apprehended Price but Maples got into the passenger seat of the jeep and the female driver that was waiting in the vehicle drove off.  A pursuit ensued and finally ended at the Pacific Junction exit off I-29.

Terron A. Maples

Diamond D. Price

Authorities say at that time, the female driver of the Jeep was identified as 26-year-old Ke’Shawn M. Foster, of Kansas City, Missouri.  Both Maples and Foster were taken into custody that time.  Officers received information from store employees that Price and Maples had attempted to leave the store with approximately $7,300 in both Nike and North Face merchandise.

Ke’Shawn M. Foster

During the investigation officers were able to determine that both Maples and Price were involved in a previous incident that occurred at the same location on November 14th at 8:15pm.  During that incident the suspects took approximately $4,000 in merchandise.  As the suspects exited the store, one suspect sprayed an employee with pepper spray and then left the area in an unknown vehicle.

All parties involved were taken into custody and interviewed by detectives.  They were then transported to Pottawattamie County Corrections and booked for the charge of Theft 2nd plus several other misdemeanor charges.  Additional charges for Maples and Price are possible for their involvement in case on November 14th.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Education’s annual report for the fall shows enrollment in the 327 school districts dropped by nearly six-thousand (5,935) students from last year. The Department of Education report says the one-point-two percent decline is the first drop in certified enrollment in ten years. Enrollment decreased at 215 school districts representing 66 percent of all public school districts in the state. Des Moines Public Schools had the largest decrease followed by Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Iowa City, Council Bluffs, Waterloo, Sioux City, Dubuque, Burlington and West Des Moines.

The report shows enrollment in home school assistance programs was up more than 16-hundred for a total of eight-thousand-735 students. Home school students receive some services through their local school district. The total number of students in schools was 484-thousand-159..